HELPFUL SIDE NOTE: For those of you following the American animé, I will be using the original names from the manga. I'll state first that Anzu Mazaki is "Téa Gardner" in America, this being the most important change. Yugi Mutou is "Yugi Moto", not much difference there. Katsuya Jonouchi is "Joey Wheeler", and Hiroto Honda is known as "Tristan Taylor".

FOREWARD: A departure from my Mario fare, this is simply one of my little pipe dreams I had. I'm a big fan of Yu-Gi-Oh!, both on Kids WB/Cartoon Network and in Shonen Jump. In the manga, it's glaringly obvious that Yugi has a big crush on Anzu. At present, I've only read the first issue of the manga and watched the American translation of the animé (which would cut out any romantic aspects, of course), so this is simply how I imagined it might play out between them. It takes place basically right after they get back from Duelist Kingdom. I'm sure it won't be how it actually happens, heh.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

~~Yugi Mutou's First Date~~~~~~~~~~~~~****~~~~~~~~~~~

"I attack with the Dark Magician!!!"

Yugi Mutou smiled coyly, playing idly with his Millenium Puzzle as a sweat bead formed on Katsuya Jonouchi's forehead. The other kids were standing around the table in a circle, some eyes fixed on the Duel Monsters cards on the tabletop, some fixed on the players' faces. It was good to be able to play a nice, friendly game now and then.

"Dammit, I knew I shoulda put that magic card down!" he cursed, banging his fist on the table. "My Flame Swordsman just ain't strong enough!"

"I'd like a vanilla shake," Yugi said, handing him a few yen. "If you don't mind too much."

"I'll take a strawberry," Anzu said, doing the same.

"Hmm," Katsuya said, stroking his chin. "Three chili-cheese dogs, a hamburger with bacon, a side of fries..."

"Geez, Jonouchi, why don't you just eat the whole diner?" Honda said.

"Shut your trap! Just for that, it's your treat!"

"WHAT?! I don't think so, lapdog!"

Jonouchi jumped up. "You know I hate bein' called that!!!"

"Guys, guys!" Anzu said. "You're making a scene!"

Jonouchi ignored her. "I suppose I oughtta be buying a salad and some yogurt, huh? Maybe a cappuccino?"

"No, but you don't have to eat a truckload, either!"

"Come on, you guys," Yugi put in. "Jonouchi's just got a higher metabolism. You can see he's not overweight at all."

"Yeah, that's right," he said, crossing his arms. Honda just rolled his eyes.

"Alright, fine. What do you want?"

"Just a burger and fries and a chocolate malted," he said. "Don't wanna make a pig of myself."

Honda made an attempt to roll his eyes even more, then went over to the counter, muttering "Bet he doesn't even know what 'metabolism' means..."

"Gahd, the nerve of that guy sometimes..." Jonouchi continued to seethe.

"So, Anzu," Yugi said, attempting to lighten the mood, "How'd you like the movie?"

"It had its moments," she said, smiling. "I have to say, I didn't understand all of it, but maybe if I saw it again I could fill in the blanks..."

"What you really should do is read 'The Hobbit', the prequel. The movie talked about what happened in it at the beginning, but didn't cover much."

Anzu laughed softly. "I'm not much of a reader... guess I'll just have to stay lost."

"Oh, that's okay, I have an animé of it somewhere, I think. We could watch it together."

She smiled warmly. "I'd like that."

Jonouchi groaned. "I don't wanna waste my yen, so if you two are through making me lose my appetite..."

"Look, just because a clod like you couldn't get a date to save his life..."

"D-date?!" Yugi stammered, his face turning red.

Luckily, he was saved from contemplating this further by Hiroto arriving with the food. "This tray is our food, and that one is Jonouchi's."

"Geez, Honda, add insult to injury."

"I wasn't trying to," he said. "And I DID treat you, since you never handed me any yen. I kinda owed it to you for that lapdog comment."

"Hey, thanks man," Jonouchi said, opening his straw. "And to show my appreciation, I won't shoot you with this straw wrapper."

"Oh, I am ever-so greatful, allmighty Katsuya-sama." They all laughed, then dug into their food.

Yugi was enjoying his shake, but he couldn't help thinking about what Anzu had said in the back of his mind. 'A date?' he thought. 'But I've never been on a date! What do I wear, do I use cologne? Oh, boy... maybe I should ask my grandpa for advice...'

He looked over at Anzu Mazaki. He'd known her ever since he was in elementary school, so it had never really occured to him that she had grown up, too. She was a beautiful girl with brown hair, chocolate eyes, a pleasant smile and an even more pleasant figure. He'd realized she was a woman in body, but somehow hadn't linked that to the Anzu he knew, his lifelong friend. The fact that they might go on a date startled him. Could he really go out with this beautiful girl without ruining things in some way?

"Thanks!" He puffed out a chest, then stopped. "Heyyyy, what's that mean?"

"It means you have a forehead fetish," Anzu said, winking.

"Wait a minute, I ain't no forehead freak!" They all burst into riotous laughter, even Jonouchi after he realized what he'd said.

~~~~~****~~~~~

Yugi bounced into Kame Game, the store run by his grandfather, shouting for him.

"Grandpa, you home?"

"Hey, Yugi," the old man said, emerging from the back room. He was carrying a box of Duel Monsters booster packs he'd just opened. "What's up?"

"Uh, I just wanted to know if it's okay if Anzu comes over for dinner tomorrow."

"The Mazaki girl? I don't see why not."

"And afterwards, we were gonna watch a video."

Mr. Motou winked. "Finally putting the moves on her, eh?"

He clenched his teeth. "Grandpa!"

"Ho ho ho! Fine, fine, do as you please. Just make sure she leaves by 10... unless she's staying the night."

Yugi turned several different shades of red. "GRANDPA!!!" The old man merely laughed and went back behind the counter. "Just try not to embarrass me tomorrow night, please?"

"I'll try. Am I permitted to pinch anything?"

The boy with the Millenium Puzzle walked up the stairs, sighing and mumbling. The dirty old geezer was a good grandfather and a good friend, but he probably couldn't offer any useful advice in this area. Yugi often wondered how any girl could have stood him long enough to marry him AND bear a son.

He walked into his room and went straight to his closet. He'd better start planning now if he wanted to be ready by tomorrow afternoon!

"First thing's first... where's that video?"

~~~~~****~~~~~

Yugi jumped as the little bell rang, signaling someone entering the shop. He had selected his suit jacket that he'd worn to a funeral or two, but was wearing a regular black sleeveless shirt underneath. It would have given him that sleazy Hollywood agent look if it weren't Yugi. He was hurridly putting the finishing touches on his hair.

"Yugi!" the call came from downstairs. "Your significant other is here!"

He nearly combed his red spikes clear off his head. "GRAND-PAAAA!!!" He quickly groomed them back into place and ran downstairs. 'Oh, man,' he thought. 'I can't let him ruin anything further than he already has!' He slowed down as he reached the turn, took a deep breath, and opened the door.

Anzu was wearing one of her usual outfits; a pink vest on top of an oversized yellow dresshirt and a blue miniskirt. His grandpa was wearing baggy clothes and that same bandana he was always wearing. Yugi felt grossly overdressed, but at least he'd gone with his instincts and hadn't worn the entire suit.

"Hey, Yugi!"

"Um, hi Anzu," he said shyly. "This jacket's not too much, is it?"

"Not at all," she said, laughing. "Unless you're gonna put on a tie and take me to an opera. I'd say that would be a step too far." Yugi and his grandfather joined her in laughing.

"Well," Grandpa said, still chuckling, "dinner's about ready. The soup is near boil as we speak."

"You should have tried the raspberry pie," Yugi said, turning on the TV. "It's his specialty."

"Maybe after we watch the video. I couldn't eat another bite if I tried!"

Yugi smiled and popped the video in, grabbing the remote. "I rewound it and everything," he said, pulling out his desk chair, "so here we go!"

The screen was still black, so Anzu commented, "Y'know, you could sit on the bed. That chair doesn't look too comfortable."

"But I wanted you to have the best seat."

Anzu giggled. "You're not THAT small, Yugi... this bed's big enough for two."

"Oh..." Yugi blushed slightly. "You meant, uh, next to you."

"Yeah. I don't think I bite."

Yugi hesitantly moved next to her as the screen started to play a few advertisements. 'I can't believe I'm sitting next to a girl on my bed!' he thought, starting to sweat. 'I shouldn't be so nervous, it's just Anzu, but...'

Then 'The Hobbit' was underway, and Yugi focused his attention on the story. Tolkien was a marvelous storyteller, and this animated adaption of it was pretty good.

"Is that *the* Hobbit?" Anzu asked.

"Yeah... Bilbo. He was in the first bit of 'Fellowship of the Ring'."

"He looks funny in this cartoon," she said, laughing quietly.

Yugi smiled. Anzu said the cutest things sometimes. He stole a glance at her, considering she was watching the screen. In the dim light, the shadows played across her face in interesting ways. The reflection of the flickering television screen shone in her eyes.

He quickly looked back to the TV. 'Staring isn't polite,' he scolded himself. He was supposed to be watching the show, anyway. But he couldn't help but look at her. It was a "date", after all, and she was the main attraction.

"Is that the green g..." Anzu turned, catching him in mid-stare. "What?"

Yugi started to speak again, and his voice was high. He cleared his throat. "Gollum?"

"Yeah, he's the one they showed finding the ring at the beginning of the movie."

"Yeah, he sure is." Then, to try to get back into the spirit, he volunteered a fact. "You know, he wasn't really like that when he first found The One Ring. He was a Hobbit, but it turned him into that."

He took a deep breath. "When Jonouchi was acting like he was sick of how we were talking, and you said that he couldn't get a date... I had to wonder..."

"What, what?!" She squeezed his hand, trying to get him to finish.

"Um... is this a date?"

She blinked. "Huh?"

"Oh, I knew it was dumb!" He looked in the opposite direction, his face incredibly rosy.

"No, wait, what do you mean?"

He toyed with his Millenium Puzzle's chain. "Well, we discussed you coming over, then you told Jonouchi he couldn't get a date, so I wondered if that meant this... was... one. I told you it was silly."

Anzu sat back for a moment. "Hmm, I hadn't really thought about it. I guess it is, I dunno. Why?"

Yugi laughed. "I don't know, either." Anzu joined in the laughter, then they returned their attention to the movie.

~~~~~****~~~~~

The moon was a waxing crescent and the sky was clear that night. It was about 9 PM, and Yugi Mutou and Anzu Mazaki were on their way to her house, Yugi walking her home.

"That tape was pretty good," she spoke up. "And I definitely have a better idea of what's going on."

"I'm glad," he said. "Anything for a friend."

There was nothing but the sound of a soft breeze and footfalls for a moment. Then Anzu spoke up again.

"Yugi... why did it matter so much whether or not tonight was a date?"

He coughed. "It didn't, I was just wondering."

"Please, Yugi, I'm not that dumb. I've known you practically my whole life, I can usually tell when you're hiding something."

Yugi fiddled with his necklace again. "Well, see... if it was a date, then it would be like... you and I would be... well, y'know..."

"Ohh..." She blinked several times. "Oh."

"Yeah."

They came to a stop at a crosswalk, waiting for the light to change. Anzu leaned against a sign while Yugi stood with his hands in his pockets.

"Yugi... I'm sorry if what I said in Burgerpalooza made you... uncomfortable. I didn't mean to say tonight would be a date, I was just poking fun at Jonouchi."

Yugi glanced at her, then down at his shoes. "It's okay, Anzu..." He laughed bitterly. "Boy, do I feel like a fool."

"Yugi-"

"The signal's changed, let's go."

They hurried across the street, then slowed down upon reaching the other side, stopping for a brief moment to rest against a lamppost. Yugi resumed walking quickly. He wanted to get out of this nightmare of perpetual embarassment as soon as possible.

"Yugi, wait..."

"I don't want to keep you out too late, Anzu."

"But..."

Yugi turned around. His mouth was smiling, but despite his efforts, his eyes betrayed his emotions. "Yes?"

She put her hand on his shoulder. "Listen, I didn't mean that I wouldn't WANT to go on a date with you... I mean, we've always been friends. I just never thought about you that way before."

He grinned back, the weight of a dozen cinder blocks lifted from his shoulders. "Thanks, Anzu. I feel better about myself now."

"Anytime, Yugi."

They resumed walking in a more comfortable silence until they reached the Mazaki home.

"Well, Anzu," he said, sighing, "it's been an interesting night."

"Yeah, confusing is more like it."

They both laughed slightly, then quieted. Yugi scratched the back of his neck. "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow, or Monday at school."

"Now, hold on," she said with mock reproach. "If this is a date, it has to end like a date."

Yugi's brow knitted. "I don't get what you mean."

She grinned seductively. "You have to kiss me, Yugi Mutou."

The boy's heart leapt into his mouth, lodging in his throat. "Guh...!!!" His eyes were as wide as frisbees, and he went from zero to pouring sweat in nothing flat.

Anzu bent over at the waist, eyes closed. "Well? Let's end this date, Yugi." She waited, dainty lips puckered, for him to kiss her, or panic and start babbling.

And waited.

And waited still.

After about fifteen seconds had passed, she opened her eyes. 'Where'd he go?' She dashed back down the steps and to the sidewalk, looking around.

"YUGI!!!"

He was already to the lamppost.

~~~~~****~~~~~~~~~the end~~~~

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Thank you for reading my experimental foray into the world of Yu-Gi-Oh! Itching for a sequel? Want to see if Yami Yugi or Seto Kaiba pop up in a future chapter? If you'd like to see Yugi go on a second date (or whatever I decide to put him through, hehe), email me: